Let local areas – not the Department for Work and Pensions – provide better support for people facing barriers to work, argues Pawda Tjoa

T oday, over 200,000 more people are unemployed than a year ago. While debate has focused on the newly unemployed, record job losses mean that millions of people undergoing long-term unemployment – often due to disabilities and health issues – are ignored. This group are finding themselves being pushed further to the back of the queue when it comes to getting the support they need to get back into work.